Synopses & Reviews

Synopsis

From the middle of the nineteenth century, East Asia fell increasingly under the influence of the West. However, at the same time, there was a decided trend in the opposite direction, especially in the realm of theater, the central meeting point of the cultural encounter. While the stimuli and impulses emanating from American drama are sufficiently well documented, there are no thoroughgoing studies on the effects of East Asian theater on drama and theater in America. This relatively neglected aspect of cultural cross-fertilization is investigated in the book. The research is based on the evaluation of interviews and theater visits, and an analysis of historical sources and the relevant works/productions of Eugene O'Neill, Thornton Wilder, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Robert Wilson, and Stephen Sondheim.